DiMillo’s on the Water

View was beautiful (it was snowing while we were there), service was impeccable. I had the seafood scampi and it was TO DIE FOR! I don’t care what people say… if this is a tourist trap then I am a happily trapped tourist!

Steamers and wine, watching the playoffs! Beautiful place reasonably priced. Views are amazing. If you like your dinner near the water this is the place! Love my foodie life.

This is a pretty standard tourist trap. The food is acceptable — not exceptional. You can order the usual lobster roll and whatnot. The one thing they really have going for them is the view. No one can beat that view. Whether it makes up for lackluster, bland, not quite fresh seafood they serve, I don’t know. But if you get caught in town without a reservation at one of the good spots, then Dimillo’s is an okay backup.

Dimillo’s is one of those places that locals come for family dinners and celebrations (but in the off season), and tourists come to experience fine dining on the waterfront at the floating restaurant.
We came for lunch with a gift certificate and had a very nice experience. Nice cocktails, warm bread, pleasant service, and really decent food.
And the views can’t beat.

Great experience at DiMillo’s on our first try. We made reservations and were seated immediately. Excellent salmon special (topped w/​a cranberry ginger compote) and the pear and gorgonzola salad with a bit of salmon added were both amazing. Great service from Bob who suggested bread pudding for dessert which rivaled New Orleans’ best. And the Almond Joy (coconut & chocolate) cheese cake was just sinful!

Atmosphere was lovely, the food wasn’t anything spectacular though. Great views of you can snag a window seat!

Beautiful evening eating drinking laughing enjoying our meals. Beautiful heated outside dining.
We enjoyed our Salmon, baked stuff lobster, fishermans platter, stuffed pecan glazed haddock & Caesar salad. Yummy to all of it. Very touristy & not inexpensive. $ 89.00 with tip for two of us.

We went here for our anniversary after a lot of research on Unilocal.We wanted delicious seafood with a great atmosphere without being too «foodie.» Call me old fashioned but I don’t need everything on the menu to come with a purée to enjoy it, and DiMillos delivered on this.
We got scallops wrapped in bacon which were cooked perfectly and had a delicious maple glaze (and came 8 to a serving which we appreciated because we HATE it when appetizers come in odd numbers).
After we each had a cup of haddock chowder which was seasoned perfectly.
For our meal I got the beef filet (the cheaper beef entrée that comes with bacon and blue cheese) and my husband ordered an admirals portion of lazy lobster and we shared them both. It was the Ultimate surf and turf!
Everything was perfect and our server was so attentive. I’m the pickiest about water refills and they have pretty small water glasses and I drink a lot and she was on top of it.

Stopped here for lunch while we were in Portland. I had to try a lobster roll. I have never had one so I didn’t know what to expect. It came on a toasted hoagie roll with lots of lobster and some lettuce and a side. I chose fries. It was good but a little plain. Maybe that’s how it is supposed to be. My husband had a turkey bacon caesar club with a side of Cole slaw. He said both were good. I guess $ 20 is the going rate for a lobster roll.
My only complaint is that the waitress didn’t come by later during the meal and I needed more iced tea. I had to flag down a buss boy to get some.

Beautiful ambience. A beautiful. Not a bad seat in the house. Excellent Scallop and dill soup as the soup of the day. The scallops were so tender! The lobster mac we share as a table as an appetizer. Marscapone cream really made the dish creamy and rich. Our Lazy lobster was plentiful and delicious. The desert menu was something to be desired. Blueberry cobbler just okay. Make the topping more crunchy? Spanish coffee had no whipcream. But server gave us long spoons as if there was cream on top. Disappointed in server. For the caliber of restaurant this is. Thank goodness we were all foodies and understood the menu well.

The ambiance is nice; great views because you’re on a boat in the harbor. It opened in 1982 and the décor looks the part, it’s charming. Seems the typical tourist trap.
The service was good, our server was polite and attentive for lunch on a Saturday afternoon. The food was good, not excellent, but what I expected. Reasonably priced with a nice atmosphere, casual. It’s good for what it is.

My friend and I we’re looking for a place that would serve us a dessert at 10pm and we were happy to find this one.
The location is amazing, right on the waterfront, most of the tables with ocean view.
I was actually looking for a dessert but I fell in love with an appetizer: scallops rapped in bacon with maple syrup.
It was delicious!
My friend had a brownie Sunday which was really good too.
I only gave 4 stars cause it’s a little too expensive but we had a great experience and the staff was really nice :)

It was okay. My Grandfather took me here for lunch. In the car he told me how good this place used to be. That should have been an indicator. However he and I were overruled by company in the car of where we were going to eat.
We walked in an were seated quickly which was good, but it took the waitress twenty minuets to get to our table. Twenty minuets no drink and no bread basket for the table. When she showed up she did not seem to want to be there.
As per her recommendation I ordered the fried Maine shrimp and vegetable plate. Maine shrimp are smaller than other shrimp which I expected and they gave me a lot of them. The shrimps themselves were good. However they fried my vegges too which was not what the waitress told me was going to happen. Given the company I ate my food in silence as to not upset the apple cart.
It took a long time to get any kind of refill on our drinks. It also took a really really long time to get the check. This place was not worth the prices that they charged for food. At those prices, I expect to never have an empty glass and a waitress who looks happy to see us.

Being local, I’ve eaten here over 25 times. My first comment… I eat here when I want good fresh shellfish… which Dimillo’s does very well. The deck on the bar side is an excellent choice on a nice summer day… Which I’d recommend.
The steamers are excellent, clean, and well portioned. The fried clams are also very good… the bellies burst when bitten. The lobster stew is excellent, with claws, knuckles, and a creamed sherry base. The clam chowder is rich, thick, and full of clams. The shrimp cocktail are huge… and a great meal when pared with the bacon and blue cheese wedge salad.
The lobsters are excellent… you can go lazy… steamed, baked stuffed… or my once a year decadence… the lobster stuffed baked stuffed… delicious.
I’ll make a couple other quick comments… I’ve been in the Dimillo’s kitchen on more than one occasion… the kitchen is spotless… the cleanest I’ve ever seen commercially. The wine list is very value based, with several named selections at reasonable prices.
Enjoy this place… they do lobster and shellfish first rate… and the view is top notch.
4 stars

The view is five star if that is what you are looking for. Even the walk doen from the street is nice. The service was average, our waiter mentioned having alergies but his runny nose really made my appetite sour. The berries and cheese appetizer was excellent. It came with blackberries, bluberries and strawberrirs with a large ball of baby mozzarella topped with chopped basil and a balsamic vinegarette. The fried shrimp were very small, the batter was half soggy and the plate had no presentation at all. It was an experience eating here. I’m not sure I would rush to go back considering so many other great places to eat seafood in Portland.

The last time I came to Portland I was worried to go here because I thought it was a tourist trap, this time around I made it a point to go here, and I am so glad I did.
The interior is very cool, not overdone, a really nice setting inside a ship, with a view of the water, can go either casual and dressed up.
Good variety of cocktails and beers.
The warm bread they drop off at the table was delicious
The food:
–Fried Oysters: Amazing. Wrapped in lettuce with bacon and tarter sauce, great combo of flavors
–Lobster Stew: A must. Picture butter turned broth, with huge chunks of lobster, super flavorful
–1.5lb lobster: Delicious and sweet meat, perfect portion with a side
–Lobster mac and cheese: cheesy and lobstery just as we hoped it would be
If you are in Portland, make it a point to come here, you can get your lobster fix and more and prices are reasonable. Probably the best of the lobster spots i visited in portland.

I came to Portland to stop by J’s Oyster, a top notch bar and oyster house. The parking was tight so I parked at DeMillio’s lot. The parking is pay parking unless you go to DeMillio’s and get your ticket validated.
I decided I’d go do my thing at J’s and then go grab a beer at DeMillio’s to get my ticket stamped.
You walk down to the end of the pier and there is a long ramp that goes from the pier to the boat entrance. It is a little dark just before you enter the boat. Once you’re through the doors there is a front desk (where you get your ticket validated). I went up to the desk and asked where the bar was. It is in to your left.
This place is really nice. The interior is beautiful and very luxurious. I can see people forgetting they are on a boat. I looked around a bit before I sat at the bar. There is a nice lounge area when you first go starboard from the front desk. Then, heading aft on the starboard side is the bar. The stern of the boat is a huge dining room. I don’t know what is upstairs on the upper levels or the port side.
I ended up having a bud light. The tab with a nice tip was $ 6.00. So either pay for parking or drink a beer and don’t pay for parking. Win win in my book.
My cousin ate here. She said it was really nice and the food was good. She said they spent over $ 100 on their tab so I’m guessing the prices are up there.
I’ll definitely go back for a beer to get my parking ticket stamped.

LOBSTER LOBSTER LOBSTER! Hands down my favorite lobster stew. Creamy, sherry flooded and filled with claw and knuckle meat. Yum A dum dum!
The steamers were fresh with delicious drawn butter.
They also serve a 16 year Lagavulin which, if you like scotch and have not tried, stop what you are doing right now and go try some.
The restaurant is a boat and is quite beautiful with great harbor views all around.

Lobster Bisque– VERY buttery and creamy. Soo good!
Potato Salad– Im used to west coast potato salad so the large chunks of potatoes made the salad a bit bland.
Garlic butter Mussels– YUM
Lobster– very fresh.
Cole slaw– fresh but bland
Crab cakes– pretty decent
Clam chowder– A TON of clams. Creamy.
Cucumber Martini– sip sip
Casco Bay Foggy Joe– irish cream, frangelico, cocoa. Drink good. Strong.
Vanilla bean ice cream
Customer Service– awesome.
Bill: $ 250.

The Quick: The view and location are great. You are on a fancy boat docked on the water with elegant décor.
The Details: The dress code is casual as most tourists stop by after exploring the town. The food is… Good. Not amazing nor terrible, very average and a bit pricey. Almost everyone liked their meals but there are much better options Portland. The pasta with salmon featured salmon from a can so I would not recommend that. However the lazy lobster was delicious (lobster in butter… What’s not to like?)
I would recommend going for a drink and appetizers to enjoy the ambience and view, and walk a little way off of Main Street for dinner.